Panama

In an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal, AS/COA Board Member Thomas McLarty III says a strongly concerted effort to ratify pending trade agreements will remind voters that President Obama "sees America as confident and innovative enough to remain the global economy's True North."

Bernard Aronson, former assistant secretary of state for inter-American affairs, argues in The Washington Post that delaying the ratification of free-trade agreements with Colombia and Panama sends Latin America a message: "Friends of the United States get thrown under the political bus."

"A strong trade agenda presents a unique opportunity to promote economic growth, global partnerships and bipartisan cooperation," argues Congressman David Dreier in an op-ed for Politico. "International trade plays an important part in improving a nation’s circumstances — far beyond the immediate scope of exports and imports."

Torrential downpours led the three countries to declare states of emergency, though how each handled the challenge differs.

The outcome of the U.S. midterm elections will likely impact U.S. policy toward Latin America. AS/COA Online takes a look at the debates over free trade, Californian drug policy, border security, and immigration.

"In the absence of passage of these bilateral agreements, a possible near-term alternative would be to welcome Colombia and Panama into ongoing negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership," writes AS/COA's Eric Farnsworth in an opinion letter to the Financial Times.

"Speculation is rampant in Washington that the November 2 mid-term elections will usher in a new phase of trade expansion for the United States," argues Eric Farnsworth in an op-ed for The Miami Herald.